What a Software Evangelist Does - and Where the Job is GoingI've been working as an 'Evangelist' at Redgate for close to six months now, and one question keeps coming up: what exactly does an Evangelist do at a software company? In 21 minutes, I explain the core mission of Evangelists, and why I think being part of the sales process is an important part of the future of software evangelism. /episode/index/show/dearsqldba/id/8432414

DBA Jobs: Threats and OpportunitiesJobs change over time, and database administrator jobs are no different. In this 35 minute recorded Twitch livestream (my first ever!) I talk about threats to DBA jobs and the related opportunities. /episode/index/show/dearsqldba/id/8299142

DevOps Terms - and Why They Matter to Database SpecialistsIn this session, I discuss scrum, continuous deployment, test driven development, DevOps, and related concepts. I close with a quick discussion of why Database Administrators and Developers should care about DevOps./episode/index/show/dearsqldba/id/7121438

Employee Agreements & Contracts - Best PracticesSo you've got an employee agreement in front of you: now what? In this 23 minute episode, I talk about practical steps you should take to make sure that you understand the terms of your contract, and how to potentially negotiate the terms./episode/index/show/dearsqldba/id/6983133

Employee Agreements & Contracts for DBAs & Developers - Anti-PatternsWhen you take a new job in software engineering or in IT, within the paperwork there often lurks an employee agreement: a contract between you and your employer. In this half-hour live episode we'll talk about why these contracts exist, and multiple anti-patterns you should avoid.
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Remembering Robert Davis, DBA HeroWhat makes a person a DBA Hero? In this episode, I talk about how Robert Davis made a huge impact on the SQL Server community, and the traits that Robert displayed that I hope to emulate./episode/index/show/dearsqldba/id/6878471

Why Don't You Teach Service Broker?I've gotten a few questions about whether I recommend learning Service Broker, and recently I was asked if I'm planning to make any courses on Service Broker. In this episode, I talk about why I personally haven't become an expert with Broker, the factors that I believe play into Service Broker adoption, and other resources online for learning Service Broker in SQL Server./episode/index/show/dearsqldba/id/6826926

Training Resources for SQL NoobsNew to learning SQL Server? Get the scoop on free online resources to look up information, ask questions of community members, and learn SQL Server from the ground up.
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Dealing With a Lack of Control as a DBAThis week I discuss a question that I've gotten in many forms over the years - a lot of the scenarios are so specific that it's hard to keep them anonymous, but they can be generalized as a bigger problem: how do I deal with being responsible for things that I can't fully control?
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Do DBAs Need College Degrees?Our question this week comes from someone who's excited to be on a healthy career path, building their work experience as a DBA. They're worried: will lacking a college degree block their career growth down the line? I talk about my experience and also check out current job listings to answer the question./episode/index/show/dearsqldba/id/6549822

How Do I Prepare for Certification Exams?In this episode, I talk about how to strategize for and prepare for Microsoft Certification exams, using the Database Fundamentals exam as an example./episode/index/show/dearsqldba/id/6497574

I Want to Work for MyselfOur question this week comes from someone who would like to be self-employed. In this episode, I talk about three big things you need to think about to start working for yourself, and two possible paths to get there./episode/index/show/dearsqldba/id/6450401

Auto-Tuning and the #1 Mindset Problem I had as a DBAA few folks have asked: will auto-tuning and adaptive query plans mean the end of performance tuning jobs in SQL Server? In this week's episode, I talk about why I'm excited about those features rather than afraid of them. Digging into this problem, I share the #1 mindset problem I had as a DBA, why this mindset is so common among database professionals, and a daily habit that can change your approach to new technology./episode/index/show/dearsqldba/id/6001734

Slowing Down Your Motor Mouth - Presentation Tips for Fast TalkersAre you worried that you talk too fast when you give a speech, talk, or presentation? Is fear being a fast-talker one of the concerns that keeps you from getting started with public speaking? In this episode, I give you simple, practical tips that I've used to successfully improve the way I give presentations. Four years ago, I got frustrated feedback from listeners who had a hard time keeping up with my mouth; now I get congratulations that the pace was great./episode/index/show/dearsqldba/id/5956480

I Thought I Was An Introvert. Turns Out I Was Anxious as #@*(In this week's episode, I'm not answering a reader's question. Instead, I'm talking about my personal experience with anxiety.
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The Death of SQL Server Service PacksSQL Server Service Packs are going away, starting with SQL Server 2017. I talk about why I think this is a good thing, and discuss Cumulative Updates, Service Packs, and the process of updating SQL Server./episode/index/show/dearsqldba/id/5811743

Love and Hate for SSMSPeople have strong feelings about SQL Server Management Studio: they love it AND they hate it. In this week's episode, I talk about why people have such conflicting feelings about SSMS, and how to work it all out./episode/index/show/dearsqldba/id/5787808

How Do I Analyze a SQL Server Execution Plan?A query is slow, and you figure out how to collect the query execution plan. Now what? In this episode I talk "big picture" about what execution plans are, what "cost" is, why to collect "compiled for" values, and the steps I take to analyze execution plans while performance tuning queries./episode/index/show/dearsqldba/id/5763728

Do I Need to Master PowerShell?As a SQL Server DBA, do you need to be a killer with scripts? In this episode I talk about how much you need to know about PowerShell, and examples of ways I personally use (and struggle with) PowerShell./episode/index/show/dearsqldba/id/5718580

SQL PASS Summit 2017: Why I'm Excited, and Tips on AttendingI'll be attending and presenting at the SQL PASS Summit in Seattle Washington this year from Oct 31-Nov 3. In this week's episode, I share why I'm excited about going, and why I've purchased a seat for a pre-conference session. (Spoiler: pre-cons are awesome!) I also give my tips on how to get the MOST value out of a big conference like the PASS Summit./episode/index/show/dearsqldba/id/5711326

How Do You Stay Motivated?Over the years, readers have asked me: "How do you stay motivated?" Sticking with a learning plan, blogging, or becoming a public speaker isn't easy. In this episode I share how I think about motivation and what keeps me going./episode/index/show/dearsqldba/id/5695265

"I faked my resume... now what?"This week's question from a reader: how do I deal with interview questions asking about real-world scenarios when I've faked three years of experience on my resume?/episode/index/show/dearsqldba/id/5673574

Which Queries are Causing my Wait Stats?You've got some troubling wait stats in SQL Server. How can you tell which queries are causing those waits? Kendra discusses the pros and cons of different techniques to track down the cause of both common and tricky waits in SQL Server, including CXPACKET, PAGEIOLATCH, LCK, RESOURCE_SEMAPHORE, and THREADPOOL waits. /episode/index/show/dearsqldba/id/5387359

Removing Query Hints with Plan GuidesIf you need to add, remove, or replace hints from ad-hoc queries and you can't change the code, plan guides can help. See a demo of removing hints from parameterized TSQL run from an application, and get tips on how to make your plan guides work in SQL Server. Get code samples from this episode here: https://sqlworkbooks.com/2017/05/removing-query-hints-with-plan-guides-dear-sql-dba-episode-43/ /episode/index/show/dearsqldba/id/5366207

Batch Mode Hacks in SQL ServerLearn what batch mode is in SQL Server, and how you can trick SQL Server into using it (even without a "real" columnstore index). For clickable links and demo code, head to https://sqlworkbooks.com/2017/05/batch-mode-hacks-for-rowstore-queries-in-sql-server/ /episode/index/show/dearsqldba/id/5345538

Should I Get Certified as a DBA?Find out if getting certified will help you land an entry level DBA job, and if you do want to get certified, get Kendra's tips on preparing for the exam. /episode/index/show/dearsqldba/id/5324729

How Does a DBA Build Confidence After Making Mistakes? Ever had a database change go horribly wrong? It can feel awful in the moment, then eat away at your confidence for days afterward. In this 20 minute episode Kendra gives you practical steps that help you cope with change over the course of your DBA career. /episode/index/show/dearsqldba/id/5301910

Are Bad Statistics Making My Query Slow?An important query is suddenly slow. Is it because statistics are out of date? This is tricky to figure out, and updating statistics right away can make troubleshooting even harder. Learn how to use query execution plans to get to the heart of the question and find out if stats are really your problem, or if it's something else. In this 35 minute episode: 00:39 SQL Server 2017 Announced 01:10 New video from Microsoft's Joe Sack demonstrating Adaptive Query Processing 03:05 This week's question: Are bad stats making my query slow? 05:26 Demo of finding plan in cache and analyzing stats begins 28:17 What to do when stats ARE the problem Code samples: https://gist.github.com/LitKnd/f07848d59cedc61fd057d12ab966f703 Links from the episode: SQL Server 2017 Adaptive Query Processing video by Joe Sack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szTmo6rTUjM&feature=youtu.be Michael J Swart on finding Dark Matter Queries: http://michaeljswart.com/2017/04/finding-your-dark-queries/ Got a question for Dear SQL DBA? https://SQLWorkbooks.com/ask /episode/index/show/dearsqldba/id/5281972